My prototype of a perfect speaker

Hey there! I'm here to speak about the second term that I've met on the second week of the course "Social Psychology". Exactly, it's prototype. 

Well, have you ever thought about becoming a perfect public speaker? Have you ever thought that you can be a role model for somebody? I hope so, because in my opinion we need to be the best version of ourselves and try to do our best in reaching our goals.

But who is a prototype for the perfect speaker for me? I guess it is a person that always working on themselves. It is a hard work and it is not only about practice. Everything is important when it comes to public speaking: how you speak of course, how you look like, what clothes are you wearing, your hairstyles, makeup, manicure etc.

First impressions and the overall appearance of a speaker are important. An audience often forms an impression of a speaker before any words are spoken. A number of things contribute to the appearance of a speaker including grooming, style and fit of clothing, posture, facial expression, and appearance of confidence.

Clothing should not capture the attention of the audience to the point that they are focusing on clothes or jewelry instead of what is being said.

The “total look” in public speaking also includes personable qualities. A pleasant facial expression, good posture, a positive attitude, and eye contact with the audience are appearance boosters.

The following list of appearance boosters may be helpful to the public speaker:

• Body is clean.
• Clothes are clean.
• Appearance is neat.
• Nails are clean and suitably manicured.
• Make-up is appropriate.
• Posture is good.
• Poise is evident.
• Movements are easy and smooth as the speaker walks, sits, stands.
• Expression is pleasant.
• Positive presentation of self is made; speaker shows confidence.

Perfect speaker learns from the best. I guess a perfect public speaker follows these simple rules:

1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. They do not associate these feelings with the sense that they will perform poorly or make a fool of themselves. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes them sweat also makes them more alert and ready to give their best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. They take the time to go over their notes several times. Once they have become comfortable with the material, practice — a lot. Videotape them, or get a friend to critique their performance.

2. Know their Audience. Their Speech Is About the audience, Not them.

Before they begin to craft your message, they consider who the message is intended for. They learn as much about their listeners as you can. This helps them determine their choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Their Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Their Purpose.

Create the framework for their speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. They make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

They keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust their message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that they lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Their Personality Come Through.

They are being them, they don’t become a talking head—in any type of communication. They will establish better credibility if their personality shines through, and their audience will trust what they have to say if they can see them as real people.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

They inject a funny anecdote in the presentation, and they certainly grab their audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, they keep the focus on themselves and their message. A brief outline can serve to jog their memory and keep they  on task.

8. Use Their Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, public speakers use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude their speech with a summary and a strong statement that their audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify the content, or capture and maintain of the audience’s attention.

11. Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects everyone to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help public speakers deliver a better speech. They may not be able to shake their nerves entirely, but they can learn to minimize them. After all we are all humans, aren’t we?

Our teacher also asked us to present a picture of our perfect public speaker and here is mine. As for me, it doesn't matter what gender the person is.

That’s it for today. Thank you for reading. Until next time!

By CAMOMILE